trade

Lebanon: Exports on the Rise, Trade Deficit Worsens

According to data from the Higher Council of Customs, Lebanese exports rose by 21% between January and May 2025, reaching 1.5 billion dollars compared to 1.2 billion a year earlier. This increase reflects renewed competitiveness for “Made in Lebanon” products, which are seen as better suited to local purchasing power and more reliable in ...

EU Could Target 72 Bn Euros of US Goods If Tariff Talks Fail

The European Commission on Monday said it was putting forward a new list of US goods worth 72 billion euros ($84 billion) that could be targeted by EU levies if tariff talks with Washington fail. The bloc's trade chief, Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, announced the proposal, "accounting for some 72 billion euros' worth of US ...

EU Ministers Weigh Response to Latest Trump Tariff Threat

EU ministers on Monday will debate the bloc's approach to trade talks with the United States, as Brussels scrambles to head off 30-percent tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump. The US leader Trump threw months of painstaking negotiations into disarray on Saturday by announcing he would hammer the bloc with sweeping 30-percent tariffs if ...

EU 'Locked and Loaded' to Conclude Trade Deal with US

The EU said Friday it was ready to strike a deal with Washington to avoid swingeing tariffs, after US President Donald Trump sowed doubt over reaching an accord. "We remain on our side fully locked and loaded to conclude an agreement with the US," EU trade spokesman Olof Gill told reporters. "Let's see what happens when our friends in Washington ...

Where Do Trade Talks Stand in the Rush to Avert Higher US Tariffs?

US President Donald Trump has said he will send letters to select trade partners facing tariff hikes as early as Monday, piling pressure on countries to strike a deal with Washington before a new August 1 deadline. The White House announced sharp levies on dozens of economies in April, citing a lack of "reciprocity" in trade relations, which were ...

EU Strikes New Trade Deal with Ukraine Covering Farm Imports

The European Union said Monday it had agreed to a new long-term trade deal with Ukraine, covering imports of food products from the war-torn country that have angered EU farmers. "With this modernized agreement, we are securing trade flows from Ukraine to Europe and global markets," European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen ...

US and China Reach Understanding on Rare Earth Exports

China confirmed on Friday details of a trade deal with the United States, saying Washington would lift "restrictive measures" while Beijing will "review and approve" items under export controls. "It is hoped that the United States and China will meet each other halfway," a spokesperson for the commerce ministry said ...

Trump Tariffs Stay in Place for Now After Appellate Ruling

US President Donald Trump celebrated a temporary reprieve for his aggressive tariff strategy on Thursday, with an appeals court preserving his sweeping import duties on China and other trading partners -- for now. The short-term relief will allow the appeals process to proceed after the US Court of International Trade barred most of the tariffs ...

China, US Slash Sweeping Tariffs in Trade War Climbdown

The United States and China slashed sweeping tariffs on each other's goods for 90 days on Wednesday, marking a temporary de-escalation in a brutal trade war that roiled global markets and international supply chains. Washington and Beijing agreed to drastically lower sky-high tariffs in a deal that emerged from pivotal talks at the weekend in ...

US, China Agree to Establish 'Consultation Mechanism' on Trade

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said Sunday that Beijing and Washington had agreed during weekend talks in Geneva to create a "consultation mechanism", as they strive to de-escalate trade tensions. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, He said that the closed-door discussions with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson ...

US and China Meet in 'Important Step' Towards De-escalating Trade War

Senior US and Chinese officials were meeting in Geneva Saturday in what Chinese state media described as an "important step" towards resolving the trade war sparked by President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were holding talks with Chinese Vice Premier ...